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Repeating a Phrase Multiple Times — 8 Comments

  1. It’s worth noting that for some of these repeating it can change the meaning a little – saying hai once means yes, but saying it more than that often sounds like the person you’re replying to is being annoying or that you already know – which is why so many Japanese mothers say 返事は一回!to their kids.

  2. Never heard ね in anything more than a double take. Usually used by women. 行く is another one I’ve never heard more than once concurrently. Some of the others are pretty common. I use そうそうそうそう as a quint on a daily basis. I probably use it TOO much nowadays.

    Once in a blue moon I hear やだ as a triple.

    • I have used ね as in getting someone’s attention in a single.
      Example: ね、母さん。。。
      The ね in this case is held out just a little bit.
      I think it makes it sound a little more like I want something (like a favor to be done for me), or I approaching a topic kind of delicately? I think I could also use that if I’m about to complain or whine about something too. Tehehe.
      ねねね、◯◯、。。。
      That sounds more like I am excited about something to share, or I’m really trying to get someone’s attention. It has a playful kind of feel, I think.

      Though I’m only a heritage speaker, so I might not explain that too well! ^^;;

  3. It’s a dialectal thing or something but instead of はいはいはい
    I’ve heard it being said as ははははは as a way of “I’m listening” sorta like you say, mhm, when someone is talking to you.
    It sounds really funky at first, like sarcastic laughing so it took me a while to get what it meant.

  4. Another fun one is “あるある”, used when referencing a common experience, especially for a group of people in a specific category.

    For example, you might post a picture of your massive pile of homework with the caption:
    “学生あるある”
    “This is what happens when you’re a student”

    Or in regular conversation you can use it as a response to confirm that you’ve had a similar experience.

    “変な人ばかりに好かれてしまう”
    “あるある”
    “I only seem to attract the weird ones”
    “Oh yeah, I know what that’s like”

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